Bluegrass legend and former
Stanley Brother member and current Lonesome Rambler Larry Sparks' first release for fellow country icon
Del McCoury's McCoury Music label doesn't deviate much from the lauded singer/guitar player's winning blend of heartbreak, salvation and furious picking; and why should it? Sparks has been schooling the rest of the world in the gospel of bluegrass since the 1960s. Last Suit You Wear features 12 ballads and breakdowns that rely heavily on Sparks masterful hands and mournful delivery, as well as the talents of high profile guests like
J.D. Crowe,
Don Rigsby,
Randy Kohrs,
Stuart Duncan,
Ron Stewart and
McCoury himself. From the dusty, mid-tempo strains of "Old Coal Mine" to the rowdy lament "Those Blues Eyes Don't Sparkle Anymore," Sparks and his gang of bluegrass brothers have created some required listening for incoming students. ~ James Christopher Monger